The Phrenology Game

July’s game in the What Will Be almanac was “The Phrenology Game”.

The game is described thus:

Take the template of the [phrenologically] numbered skull, and place this template over a map of any scale.

Look up the numbered correspondences then find anything that may relate to the numbered personality trait.

We had had some discussion of the game before playing. There was a risk with this game that the search for analogies between the phrenology chart and the map might just be an exercise in literal correspondence, which would contain little revelatory or poetic interest. Using the phrenology chart as a premonitory or divinatory tool seemed potentially more fruitful.

We placed our phrenology chart over a map and then walked the area searching for clues to the meaning of the phrenological zones. Having assembled our findings we then reinterpreted the phrenology chart accordingly.

As we began our exploration we found evidence that we were on the right track.

Below are selected findings for each zone, with our interpretation. The original interpretation is in square brackets.

6          Bridge Strike

Interpretation: Courage [Destructiveness]

7          Armchair

            ‘imbecile heureux’

            Patriot Square

            A part-rusted circuit board and a chimney

 

Interpretation: Technical Incompetence [Secretiveness]

8          A white tulip

Interpretation: Purity [Acquisitiveness]

9          Flying ants

            Block H

Interpretation: Liberty [Constructiveness]

12       Cataracts eye dirty windows

            Cool Hand Luke

            Sell Your Liver

Interpretation: Health [Cautiousness]

28       Registered New Invention

            Four wheels on base

Interpretation: Stability [Number]

The game seems to require a further stage. One possibility would be to use these newly identified zones of meaning to interpret the skulls of the players.

PC's zone of Technical Incompetence

Patrick, Paul C